Skip stitch tufting machine



Dec. 3, 1946. w..R. KILE SKIP STITCH TUFTING- MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Aug. 26, 1940 Wa/y man R. Kile Dec. 3, 1946. I w. R. KILE2,411,883

SKIP STITCH TUFTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 26, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I WdyinpnRKtle Dec. 3, 1946. w. R. KlLE SKIP STITCH TUFTING MACHINEFiled Aug. 26, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 5' Patented Dec. 3, 1946 r nses I 1UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 25 111,883 p v g SKIP s'rrrcn TUFTINGMACHINE Waymon R. Kile, Cartersville, Ga. I I Application August 26;1940, Serial N6. 354,295

cclaims.

This invention relates to tufting machines. An object of this inventionis to provide an improved looper and cutting mechanism for looping andcutting the threads.

Another object of this invention is to providein combination with alooper and cutting mechanism, means whereby the material may be ad:

vanced relative ,to the table so as to provide spa ed groups of. tufts.

A further object ofthis inventionis to provide that the loopermaybemoved to a loop receiv.

ing position and subsequently shiftedto a loop cutting positionat whichtime :the cutting means is rendered active to cut one or more-of theloops on the looper. V I

A further object' of. this invention is to pro vide an improvedcuttingmeans for cutting the loop mounted on the looper, the cuttingmeans including a pivoted support mounted on the looper structure andmeans for-adjustably securing the. cutter on the support.

To the foregoing objects and to others which may hereinafter appear, theinventionconsists of the novel construction, combination and arrangementof parts as will be hereinafter referred to and illustrated intheVaccompanying-drawingawherein is shown anembodiment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations andmodifications'may be resorted to which fall within the scopei'of theinvention as claimed, I r a In the drawings-1' chine constructedaccording to an embodiment of;

. this invention.

Figure 2. is an enlarged sectional-lview' taken on the line 2-2 ofFigural. i

Figure 3ris afragmentary sectionalview taken on the line 3-3 of Figure2; V

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken; onthe line 44 of Figure 3. w l- I YFigure 5 is asectional view 5--5ofFigure4. j

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 ofFigure-l Figure '7 isa fragmentary sectional vie -vtalten 55 on theline il -1 iof Figureg4, ;t.;. l ,1

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectiona view taken on the line 8-8of Figure l. Figure Qis a longitudinal section showing" a piece offabric for tufts formed therein. according to this invention.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral Iii designates generally. asewing machine structure constructed according to an embodiment-of this.'invention whichincludes va base or table strucmeans of which theneedle chuck l5 may be-vere 'tically reciprocated relative to the table.i.i.- I

ture ll, an upstanding support orstandard. .12, any arm-|3 and a head il. The support i2. is preferably of hollow construction-and the arm I3is also hollow. and. extends above the base or table II and the he,ad.-l4 is also ofhollow construction and includes-the conventional 'meansby A drive shaft i6 is journalled through the arm I3 being disposed insubstantially parallel relation to the table ll and is providedatitsirear- I end with a grooved pulley l'l and -a fly wheel 18., Thepulley ll is adaptedto beengaged by a belt which isv connected to asuitable driving mechanism' whichmay be either a manual 'mechanism inthe form 'of a treadle structure ormay be connected to a power drivenpulley.- A shaft i9 is disposed below the.- table It being journalledin: a rear bearing 20 extending below the table 1 Iv and also journalledin a forward depending bearing structure. 2 I. The shaft 19 at itslrearend has secured thereto a sprocket 22 and a chain 23 is trained aboutthe sprocket 22 and extends upwardly through the standard l2and'engagesabout a driving sprocket 24 which is fixed to the drive shaft6. The sprockets 22 and..24 are of the same size.

' Figure I is a detail side-elevation partly broken away and in sectionof a skipstitch 'tuftingma- V v 29' whicli extend below thetabl'el L Theshaft adjacent the gear 26 and'a's'. shown in Figure 8,

-. the cam member '38 comprises a plate 3| which' is formed". with a'plurality of' cam-lobes 32 which taken on theline I Tha -shaft l9adjacent'the sprocket 2 2:has secured itheretoa spur gear 25 whichisadapted tomesh witha secondJ-spur gear 26 which is fixed toaa shaft21. The gears 25 and 26 have airatio of 1 .'..to-,,4 respectively.--,Theshaft -21 is journalled in depending bearing :inernbers 28 and 2'! isdisposed laterally. of the shaft] 9; ,"The shaft 21 also hassecjure'dthereto a cam member 311 are of equal height and equal distance apart.

-Theplate 3| is also formed with a relatively long cam lobe. 33, thepurpose for which will be here inafterdesoribed- V I I A rock shaft 3 4is rookabl-y mounted in bearings 35 and 35 and as shownin Figure 2, therock shaft .34 is disposed closely adjacent aside flange r .8 d endmszbesw h si biei he. r sksh t 34 adjacent the rear end thereof has fixedthereto a rock lever 39 which is formed with a bushing or hub 40engaging about the shaft 34. The lever 39 at its free end has mountedthereon a roller 4|, the roller 4| being mounted on a pin or shaft 42which is fixed to the lever 38. The lever 39 comprises a cam operatedfeeding lever and the shaft 34 is a material feeding shaft for feedingthe material acrossthe table II during the vertical reciprocation of theneedle 43 which is fixed to the chuck |5.

The shaft 34 adjacent the forward end thereof has secured thereto an armor short lever44 as shown in Figure 2 and one end of a feeding dog lever45 is pivotally secured as at 46a to the rock arm 44. The reciprocatingfeed dog arm or lever 45 has secured thereto at a point intermediate theends thereof a substantially U-shaped feed dog 46 which is slidable in aslot 41 formed in the table I. The dog 46 is formed with a lateralextension 48 which is secured by fastening devices 49 to the lever orarm 45. The lever or arm 45 at its free end is formed with a slot 50which opens through the free end of this lever or arm and a rollerloosely engages in the slot 58. The roller 5| is rotatably carried by anarm 52 which is fixed to a rock shaft 53.

The operation of the rock shaft 53 is conventional and is of the typeshown in conventonal sewing machines particularly a Singer sewingmachine and the operation of this shaft 53 in conjunction with theremaining apparatus is believed well known. The dog 46 on its upper edgeis formed with serrations 56 which are adapted i to engage with thefabric or material moving transversely across the table I! so that whenthe free end of the lever 45 is raised by means of the rock arm 52 andthe lever 45 is also shifted transversely of the table II by means ofthe rock arm r 44, the material will be moved relative to the needle 43.In practice the cam lobes 32 are adapted to actuate the rock shaft 34 soas to move the material relative to the table I l for substantially onestitch and the long cam lobe 33 is -11:

adapted to shift the lever for a distance substantially equal to threestitches although the spacing effected by the long cam lobe 33 may bemore or less than this number of stitches. The free end of the lever 45is constantly urged downwardly by means of a contracting spring 55 whichat its lower end is connected to a hook 56 secured to a U-shapedsupporting member 51. The opposite or upper end of the sprin 55 isconnected to a link 58 which is pivotally secured as at 59 to the lever45 inwardly from the slot 5|].

' In order to provide a means whereby the strand of material may beformed into a loop below the table H and subsequently the loops may becut, Ihave provided a combined loop forming structure and cuttergenerally designated as 60. The loop forming structure includes anupwardly extending andlongitudinally arcuate arm 6| which at its lowerend is formed with a bushing 62 mounted on a stationary shaft 63. Thestationary shaft 63 extends between the two upwardly extending arms '84and 65 of the U-shaped support 51 and the shaft 63 is disposed inparallel relation to the bight 66 of the U support 51. The rear leg 65of the U-member 51 is'substantially longer than the forward leg 64 andis secured by a fastening device 61 to the bearing structure 2|.Preferably the bearing structure 2| is formed with a recess 68 withinwhich the rear leg 65 engages. The arm 6| of thelooper structure isformed at its upper end with a head 69 and the head 69 as shown inFigure 7 is formed with a guide rib 10 at a point downwardly from theupper end thereof. A loop forming member 1| is secured to the head 69and comprises a body 12 having a slot 13 therein through which afastening member 14 engages. The fastening member 14 also engagesthrough the head 69 and by means of the slot 13, the body" may beadjusted relative to the head 69 and relative to the needle 43. The body12 at its forward end has formed therewith a loop engaging member orhook E5 which is directed downwardly at its forward end as shown inFigure 4 so that when the hook or looper I5 is moved forwardly as willbe hereinafter described, the hook 15 will project through the strand ofmaterial engaging through the needle 43 at the time the needle 43 is atits lowermost position.

The hook or looper i5 is of such a length that two or more loops mayberetained thereon and the downward curvature of the hook or member '!5 isprovided in order that the looped strand of material will not slide offthereof when the hook 15 is moved to the left as shown in full lines inFigure 4.

The arm 5| is rockedby means of the shaft I9 which at its forward endhas secured thereto a collar 16. The collar 16 has secured thereto aneccentrically disposed pin 1! which engages through one end of a link18. The link 18 at its opposite end is pivotally secured as at 19 to theupper end of the arm 6| s that for each rotation of the shaft IS, thehook 15 will be pulled forwardly to a loop receiving position and willalso be shifted rearwardly or to the left as shown in Figure 4 to a loopcutting position.-

The arm 6| at its upper portion has pivotally secured thereto asubstantially T-shaped cutter support generally designated as 89. Thissupport has the head or flanged portion 8| thereof pivotally mounted asat 82 on the upper portion of the arm 6| and the stem 83 of the support80 has rotatably mounted on a pin 84 a roller 85. The roller 85rotatably engages a cutter operating cam 83 which is fixed to the shaft21 at the forward end of this shaft. The cam 86 is formed with asinglecam lobe 8'! so that for each rotation of the shaft 21, the cuttersupporting member 80 will be rocked to a cutting position. The flangedportion 8| of the support 89 has secured at the end thereof oppositefrom the pivot 82, a cutter member 88. The cutter member 38 is formedwith an upper cutting edge'89 and the cutter member 88 is also formedwith a downwardly opening slot 96 through which a fastening member 9|engages so that the cutter member 88 may'be'fix'ed to the support 89 invertically adjusted position. The cutting edge 83 is inclined upwardlytoward the rear portion of the loop forming hook 15 so that when thecutter 88 is raised to a cutting position, the rear or high portion ofthe cutting edge 89 will initially cutthe rearmost of the loops carriedby the hook or looper 15.

The pivotal member 82 comprises an elongated headed shaft which extendsthrough the upper portion of the arm 6| and upon which the cuttersupporting member 80 is pivotally mounted. A bushing or sleeve 92 isdisposed about the shaft 82 and bears against the outer side of theflanged portion 8| of the supporting member 85. A tensioning spring 93isdisposed about the shaft 82 and at one end bears against a collar 94interposed between the sleeve or bushing 92 and the spring 93. Theopposite end of the spring 93 bears against a collar 95 which is securedin sideof the hook member or looper 7 5, which adifcentsideisform'edwitha cutting edge 89a, Figured, coacting with the cutting edge89 of the cutter 88" soas'to'cut-the looped strands of material" engagedabout th'e looper hook '15.: The ro1ler18'5 is yieldabl'y maintainedagainst the cam 88 by means of a spring 9"! which at one end isconnec'tedfto the stem 83 and at the other-end isconnecte'd to adepending hook 9'8 which is fixed'tothebearingmember'37.

-In' the use and operation of this machine, the drive:shaft i6 isoperated by any suitable driving in ns and rotation er the shaft 16will-effect v v, calreoiprocationfoftheneedlechuck iii-and th e'needle43 "with a strand of tuft hook75 so that when this member is drawn vforwardly, it will be disposed above the eye of the needle and betweenthe adjacent side of the needle 43 and one strand of the materialthreaded through the needle. When the needle 43 is raised the looperhook i is moved to the left as viewed in Figures 2 and 4 with the loopedstrand of material engaged about the hook i5. When the looper hook 75 isin its furthest position to the left of the needle 43, the cam lobe 81will engage the roller 85 so as to raise the cutter 88.

When only one loop is positioned on the book 15, this strand may bepositioned forwardly of the forward edge of the cutter 88 so that thisone strand will notbe cut when thecutter 88 is raised. However, witheach forward movement of the looper hook to a loop receiving position,

the succeeding loop is pushed rearwardly so that ,50

the succeeding'loop or loops will be cut by the cutter 88 when thiscutter is raised by means of the cam member 86.

The feeding dog 43 is reciprocated back and forth in an even stroke bymeans of the feeding lobes 32 which will evenly rock the cam engaginglever 39. The lever 39 is held with the roller in contacting relationwith the cam 30 by means of a spring 98 Whichat one end is secured tothe lever 39 and at the other end secured to a depending supportingmember I 80 which is fixed to the underside of the table II. When thelarge. lobe 33 engages the roller 4| the lever 38 is given a greatermovement so as to effect a greater movement of the dog carrying lever45. This will cause the dog 46 to move a greater distance than thedistance efiected by the even lobes 32. The effect of this greatermovement of the feeding dog '48 will be to move the fabric or base Iill'forwardly a distance substantially equal to three stitches. When thelever 39 is rocked by means of the lobe 32, the fabric lfil will bemoved for wardly only one space or one stitch as shown by the stitchesJ02, In the present instance there are three stitches I02 in each groupand the space I03 between each group of; stitches Inglis formed i i-e mn terial threaded through-the eye of the'nee'dl'e ,6, by th'e greaterrocking effectedby means of-the cam'lobe 33L i1 I It will beunderstoodthat there may be more or less cam lobes 32 an'd the cam-lobe 33 may beany desired length depending upon the space desired between eachgroup-of stitches I 02'. In orderto change the space between thegroups'of stitches and change the number of stitches" in each group, itis only necessaryto change the cam 38 and provide-acam with the desired'numberof short cam-lobes-32 and thedesired length of th'e long'cam lobe33.

'What I claim is: w

1'. A tufting machine comprising a reciprocabl'e 15 needle, a loopholding member, means support-- lngqsa id member for swinging movementfrom abutting position to a loop receiving position, a -loop cuttingmeans carried by said member, said cutting means comprising a pair ofangularly relatedparts, means pivotally mounting one end of one ofsaidparts to said member, a cutting element fixed to the other end of saidone part, a rotary cam, and a roller carried by an end of the other partengaging said cam to thereby rock said cutting means relative to saidmember.

2. A tufting machine comprising a reciprocable needle, a loop holdingmember, means supporting said member for swinging movement from acutting position to a loop receiving position, a loop cutting meanscarried by said member, said cutting means comprising a pair ofangularly related parts, means pivotally mounting one end of one of saidparts to said member, a cutting element fixed to the other end of saidone part, a rotary cam, a roller carried by an end of the other partengaging said cam to thereby rock said cutting means relative to saidmember, and a means constantly holding said roller in contactingrelation with said cam. 40 I 3. In a tufting machine a material feedingmeans comprising a reciprocal'feeding dog having a lateral extension atits bottom, an elongated supporting lever arranged below and fixedintermediate its ends to the lateral extension of said 5 dog, a rockshaft disposed atrig'ht angles to said lever, an upstanding arm fixed atits lower end' to said shaft adjacent one end thereof, means pivotallysecuring an end of said lever to the upper end of said arm, a dependingspring controlled arm fixed at its upper end to said shaft adjacent theopposite end of the latter, a rotatable cam below said shaft forshifting said spring controlled arm, and a roller carried by said springcontrolled arm engaging said cam to thereby effect rocking of saidshaft, said cam including a disc-shaped plate formed on its outer edgewith a plurality of evenly spaced apart cam lobes, at least one of saidcam lobes being of greaterheight than the remaining cam lobes to therebyeifect greater rockv ing of said shaft.

4. A tufting machine comprising a reciprocable,

needle, a loop holding member below said needle, means supporting saidmember for swinging movement from a cutting position to a loop receivingposition, a loop cutting means carried by said member, said cuttingmeans comprising an I elongated substantially horizontal bar, meanspivotally mounting one end of said bar on said supporting means, acutting element carried by said bar adjacent the opposite end thereof, a

depending bar carried by said first bar, a roller 7 carried by saiddepending bar, and a rotary cam engaging said roller to thereby rocksaid cutting means relative to said member.

, 5. A tufting machine comprisinga reciprocable QAILQQS needle, a loopholding means supporting said movement from a cutting position to a loopreoeiving position, a loop cutting means carried by said member, saidcutting means comprising an elongated substantially horizontal bar,means pivotally mountingone end of said bar on said supporting means, acutting'element carried by said bar adjacent the opposite end thereof, adepending bar carried by said first bar, a'roller carried by saiddepending bar, a rotary cam engaging said roller to thereby rock saidcutting means relative to said member, and means holding said roller incontacting relation with said cam.

6. In a tufting machine an oscillatable loop former including a rockarm, means for rocking said arm, a head carried by said arm, anelongated rib carried by one side of said head and disposed in proximityto the top of the latter, a rectangular plate disposed in face abuttingremember below said needle, member for swinging m1 n to said head andengaging at one of its ,len thwise edges against said rib, -a downturnedloop forming hook carried by said plate at one end thereof, said platehaving an elongated opening therein, a fastening device engaging throughsaid opening for securing said plate in longitudinally adjusted positionrelative to said rib, a spring controlled T-shaped cutter support on thesaid side of saidhead below said plate and bodily shiftable with saidrock arm, tensionable means engaging through an end of the cross arm ofsaid support for rockably mounting said support on said head, a rollercarried by a free end of said T-shaped support, a loop cutter, meanssecuring said cutter on the opposite end of the cross arm of saidsupport below said hook, and means engageable with said roller forrocking said support on said head to thereby shift said cutter to acutting position relative to said hook.

WAYMON R. KILE.

